Sectional ironing board



May 22, 1956 E. Nv BROWN SECTIONAL IRONING BOARD Filed March 2, 1954 lun INVENTOR. YENoc H NoRRls BROWN By'l, W ATTORNEYS 2,746,186 SECTIONAL IRONING BOARD Enoch Norris Brown, Whitman, Mass.

Application March 2, 1954, Serial No. 413,496

4 Claims. (Cl. 38-138) The present invention relates to an ironing board and more particularly to one which is collapsible.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ironing board which is readily collapsible and extensible. Another object is to provide such an ironing board which may be made in a form which is small enough and compact enough to be conveniently carried in a suitcase, but which when set up has a large enough working surface to be practical and convenient for ironing or pressing items of clothing, such as handkerchiefs, dresses, shirts and trousers.

A further object is to provide a collapsible ironing board which is simple to set up or extend for use and which, when set up, provides a sturdy and rmly supported working surface.

Another object is to provide a collapsible ironing board which is economical to manufacture. j

. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of an ironing board embodying the present invention shown in extended position and supported on the end of a bureau drawer;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view showing the ironing board of Fig. l in extended position but with the supporting'means collapsed; v

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the ironing board of Fig. 1 with the narrow or extension end of the board and the supporting means shown part way between collapsed and extended position; and j Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the ironing board with the parts shown in collapsed positions.

The embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings comprises a generally at body member and a fiat extension member 11, which is rotatable into abutting end to end relation with the body member 10 tol'set up or extend the board for use, compare Figs. 4, 3 and l.

As shown in Fig. 1, the ironing board is being supported in a horizontal position upon the top of a vertical surface such as the top surface of the end 12 of a bureau drawer. For this purpose, a pair of spaced lugs 14 are attached to the underside of the body member 10 adjacent to its rear end. A brace 15 having notches 16 in its forward edge is pivotally connected at one end to the under side of the body member forward of and in a position midway between the lugs 14. Forward of the brace 15 is an arm 17 which is also pivotally connected to the underside of the body member 10.

To support the board in position for use the body member 10 is placed upon the top of the end 12 of a bureau drawer with the rubber or plastic cushions 1S carried by the lugs 14 engaging the inside face of the end 12.

Then the brace 15 is swung downwardly against the outside face of the drawer end 12 and held in position by engaging the free end of the `arm 17 in one of the notches 16. As indicated in the drawings, the free end of the brace 15 may be provided with a rubber or plastic tipv 19 to prevent the brace from marring the outer surface of the drawer.

When the ironing board is collapsed, the end of the arm 17 is disengaged from the notch 16 and both the arm 17 and the brace 15 are swung flat against the bottom of the body member 10. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the arm 17 is U-shaped so that the arm may be swung against the bottom of the body member and then the brace may be swung over it, in which position the brace rests between the longitudinal sides and the ends of the arm 17 as shown in Fig. 2. The described arrangement provides a firm and steady support, but it will be appreciated that other means for supporting the ironing board may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The extension member 11 of the board is connected to the body member 10 only by the two exible straps 21, each of which has one end attached by a nail 23 to the bottom of the extension member and the other end attached to one end of a coil spring 22. The other ends of the two coil springs are attached to the underside of the body member 10 by nails 27. When the board is extended, the springs 22 continue to exert tension upon the attached ends of the extension members 21 so that the adjacent ends of the members 10 and 11 are drawn into abutting relationship and they are held in such relationship during use by said springs and straps. The flexible straps 21 and coil springs 22 also permit the extension'member 11 to be collapsed by swinging or rotating it upwardly and then downwardly into face to face relationship with the body member 10, as shown in .,Figs. 3 and 4. During this operation the springs are extended or stretched and the straps are exed and they cooperate to maintain a pivotal engagement between the adjacent ends of the body member 10 and the extension member 11. The straps 21 may be made of any exible material which has sufhcient tensile strength, such as cold rolled steel, Phosphor bronze or a suitable woven fabric or a plastic.

To aid in supporting the extension member 11 when the board is in extended position the projection members 24 are attached to the underside of the body member 1,0.and extend beyond its forward edge. Attached underneath the extension member 11 is a projection member 25 which extends beyond its rearward edge. Thus,

when the board is extended to the position of Fig. l,

theprojection members 24 cooperate with the projection member V25 to maintain the members 10 and 11 in horizontal end to end positions.

A single longitudinally resilient member and a single flexible strap may be used although at least two are preferred, one on either side of the longitudinal centerline of the extended board. Any longitudinally resilent material may be used instead of a coil spring, for example, a strip of rubber.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that an ironing board embodying this invention is readily extensible and collapsible, economical to manufacture, provides a sturdy and firmly supported working surface and, if desired, it may be made in a form which is small and compact enough to be carried in a suitcase for use in travelling.

The above description is of the preferred embodiment and it is to be understood that various changes in construction and the substitution of equivalent elements and materials may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible ironing board comprising a body member, an extension member, the forward end of said body member being in abutting end to end relationship with the vrear end .of said extension member and the upper surfaces of said members being coplanar when said board is in erected position, said body and extension members being free from pivotal attachment to each other, a first projection element attached to the lower `side of the' body member and extending forwardly beneath the lower side of said extension member when said board is in erected position, a second projection element attached -to the lower side of the extension member and extending yrearwardly beneath the lower side of the `body member when the board is in erected position, and means for holding said body and extension vmembers together consisting of a 4plurality of llexible, longitudinally elastic st-rap members parallel to the lower sides of said body yand extension members when the board is in erected position atleast two of Vwhich are located at opposite sides of the longitudinal ycenter line of said lower sides of said body and extension members in said erected position, each of said strap members having an intermediate portion the upper surface of which is substantially dat at least at the portion thereof which underlies said abutting ends of said body and extension members when the board is in erected position, said substantially flat surface extending for a longitudinal distance which is at least equal to the sum of the thicknesses of said abutting ends of said body and extension members, each of said strap members having one end attached to the lower side of said body member and the other end attached to the lower side of said extension member, the operative length of each of said strap members being such that it is -under tension at all times, said strap members constituting the sole means for holding said body and extension members together, whereby, when the ironing board is in erected position, said strap members cooperate with said projection elements to hold the abutting ends of said body and extension members together and to retain the upper surfaces of said body and extension members in coplanar relationship, and, when said extension member -is swung upwardly from said erected position about the forward end of said body member to collapse the ironing board to a position in which said upper surfaces of said body and extension members are in face to face relationship, said strap members continue to exert tension to hold the rear end of said extension member against the forward end of said body member for pivotal movement relative thereto and the said flat surfaces of said strap members extend transversely of, slide across and ex about the forward end of said 'body member and therear end of said extension member.

2. An ironing board according to claim l wherein each of said flexible, longitudinally elastic strap members comprises a at strip of metal and a coil spring.

3. An ironing board according to claim 1 wherein each of said flexible, longitudinally elastic strap mem bers comprises a fiat strip of woven fabric.

4. A collapsible ironing board comprising a body member, an extensionmember, the forward end of said body vmember -being -in abutting -end 'to Vend `-relationslltip with the rear end of said extension member and the upper surfaces of said members being coplanar when 'i said board is in erected position, said body and extension members being free from pivotal attachment to each other, a first projection element attached to the lower side of the body member and lextending forwardly beneath the lower side f said extension member when said board is in erected position, a second projection element attached to the lower side of the `extension member and extending rearwardly beneath the lower side of the body v member when the board `is `in erected position, and means for holding said vbody and .extension members together consisting of a flexible longitudinally elastic strap member parallel to the lower side of said body and extension member when the board is in erected position and parallel to the longitudinal center line of saidlower sides of said body and Aextension members in said `erected `position, said strap member having an intermediate portion the -upper surface of which is substantially at at least at the portion thereof which underlies said abutting end of -said body and extension members when the board is in erected position, said substantially 'flat surface extending lfor ia longitudinal distance which is at least 'equal to the sum ofthe thicknesses of said abutting ends of said body and extension members, said strap Ymember having one end attached to the lower side of said body member and the other attached to the lower side of said extension member, the operative length of said strap member being such that it is under tension at all times, whereby, when the ironing board is in erected position, said strap member cooperates with said projection elements to hold the abutting ends of said body and extension members together and to retain the upper surfaces of said body yand extension members in coplanar relationship, and, when said extension member is swung upwardly from said `erected position about the forward end of said body member to collapse the ironing board to a position in which said upper surfaces of said body and extension members are in face to lface relationship, Said strap member continues to exert tension to hold the rear end of said extension member against the forward end of said body member for pivotal movement relative thereto and said flat surface of said strap member extends -transversely of, slides across and ilexes about the Yforward end of said body member and the rear endiof said lexl tension member.

References Cited in the file vof this patent UNITED STATES 'PATENTS i Llp i 

